One Salvation for All

In 1985 Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie wrote a song that would unite singers from every race and genre to raise funds to help feed the starving people of Africa. The song, We Are the World, went quadruple platinum and is the 9th best-selling song of all-time. It mentions God twice in the lyrics and says, “Let's realize that a change can only come, When we stand together as one.” 

In 1982 Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder wrote a song that asked a simple question, “Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony, Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?”

In 1971 the Coca-Cola company used a song for a commercial featuring people from many different races and nations singing together, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing in perfect harmony.”

In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation Where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” King also said, “I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.”

Today, as we continue our series on Going Viral, we come face to face with the issue of racism. We have already seen that racism was something that the early church had to face and deal with firsthand. It was precisely because the church was willing to deal with issues like racism that the message of God spread so far so fast.

Now, in Acts 10 we see a story where God steps in to open wide the doors of equality to show that there is one salvation for all people from every color, every race, all are covered by God’s grace.

There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment. He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God. About three in the afternoon he distinctly saw in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 

Looking intently at him, he became afraid and said, “What is it, lord?” 

The angel told him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” (Acts 10:1-6)

Cornelius was a leader of men. He was Roman commander over an entire regiment; about 1-2 thousand men. He was a man that believed in God and prayed often. He was kind towards the Jewish people whom the Romans ruled at that time.

Cornelius was a man used to giving and following orders. God tells him in a vision to send some men to fetch Peter. No other instructions were given, so by faith he follows the orders to send for Peter.

The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop about noon.  Then he became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he went into a visionary state. He saw heaven opened and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth. In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat!” 

“No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything common and ritually unclean!”\ 

Again, a second time, a voice said to him, “What God has made clean, you must not call common.” This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into heaven. (Acts 10:9-15)

Peter had been raised and trained as a follower of Judaism before he chose to follow Jesus. Part of that training was that Jews were not to eat anything that was considered common or ritually unclean. There was a long list, but most of us only seem to remember that Jews cannot eat bacon. How sad. Both that Jews cannot eat bacon and that we know so little about a religion that brought us our salvation through the Messiah.

Peter was shocked that God would tell him to do something that was against his beliefs. But God is preparing Peter for a paradigm shift: a major change in his perspective.

God was showing Peter that traditions are not above God’s will. He also wanted Peter to see that some of what God demanded for the Jewish people was for the purpose of obedience, not a matter of doctrine. But mostly God was preparing Peter to see that salvation was for all people, not just the Jews.

Peter had to obey God’s call to visit Cornelius before he completely understood the meaning of this vision. This is true in most things God calls us to do. We often do not understand the whys until we obey. Sometimes we may never fully understand, but obedience is still required because we told God we would let Him be the boss.

While talking with him, he went on in and found that many had come together there. Peter said to them, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner. But God has shown me that I must not call any person common or unclean. 

Then Peter began to speak: “Now I really understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him. He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all. (Acts 10:27,28, 34-36)

Now we reach the crux of this story. If this was a fairytale we would say, “The moral of the story is…” In this case, God’s moral imperative here is that everyone stands equal at the foot of the cross. We are all guilty of sin and we all need a savior. Jesus died for all, not just for the Chosen People.

Peter explains to Cornelius and his room full of people that it is forbidden for a Jew to associate with a foreigner. This is one of the many rules that the Jews made up. It was not something that they could find in God’s instructions, which commanded them to be hospitable to foreigners.

It was a tradition that the Jews had established over centuries. It was taught to each generation. Children are not naturally racist. It comes about because they are taught to be racist. So how do we overcome racism?

Overcoming racism requires a godly view. The vision that God gave to Peter was to help him understand that He does not show favoritism. Jesus is Lord of all. John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

God loves everyone: white people, black people, straight people, gay people, Republicans, Democrats, rich people, poor people, fat, thin, sinners, and saints. Jesus died so that all people can come to God equally.

Overcoming racism requires visionary leadership. While racism is taught, selfishness is just part of human nature. It is not natural to be selfless. Selflessness is something that is caught when we see a cause or purpose that speaks to our hearts. These causes need visionary leaders to bring together selfless people and unite them regardless of their outward and cultural differences.

Overcoming racism requires a teachable heart. People that seriously desire to overcome racial divides must be willing to learn. We must all take time to learn how others think and feel. We need to see things through their eyes. We must try to understand things based on their culture and experiences.

Defeating racism should be a priority among the church. God does not expect an Italian believer to look and speak the same as a Jewish believer. God does not expect an African-American believer to worship and communicate the same as a Hispanic believer. God knows that He created us all with many wonderful differences, but He loves us all equally and wants the church to love all the same. That is our calling. How are we doing with it?